Darius gave him a look that seemed to question his sanity. "Of course not. It's just mild admiration. I don't even know the guy—why would I take him as a disciple or teach him everything I know? Besides, I trained in royal secret techniques that cannot be passed on. Do you think I'd betray my country over some random stranger? I'm not insane."
After saying this, Darius instinctively glanced toward Eoryun, who stood atop his carriage, then back at his employer, whose face was expressionless.
Suddenly, realization dawned on him.
He was genuinely taken aback. "Wait—you don't seriously think I'd pour all my knowledge into him just because I admire him a little, do you? That's ridiculous. If we're being serious, even the current head of the Taeharin family would have to bow in greeting when meeting me. The social gap is too wide. If I truly did something like that, I'd be mocked by my peers."
"That said, seeing you react like this only reinforces how young you still are. In any case, you should cut back on those novels."
As they conversed, the farce at the city gates finally came to an end.
The gathered crowd gradually dispersed, and the entrance to Haneulseong City resumed its usual order, with people lining up to enter.
Standing at the very end of the queue, Illiya sighed as he looked ahead at the seemingly endless line.
"Watching a pointless drama from the front row only to end up at the very back of the queue—definitely not worth it."
Darius nodded his head in agreement. "True. But at least the breakup incident gave me a fresh perspective on the diversity of living beings. In a way, it was an eye-opening experience?"
"You have a point." Illiya thought back to the people who had come to 'break off the engagement' and couldn't help but feel some secondhand embarrassment. "Who would have expected to encounter such bizarre people? And to top it off, the engagement was fake to begin with. If anyone is truly unlucky, it's Young Master Taeharin, who got dumped for no reason at all."
"You're absolutely right."
Illiya and Darius continued their casual exchange of opinions.
With something to occupy their minds, even waiting in line seemed to pass more quickly.
Before long, they found themselves standing at the front.
"Before entering the city, please register your name and place of origin. Then proceed to the side to pay the entry fee and receive a booklet of city regulations," a soldier at the gate explained in a professional yet friendly tone.
After Illiya filled out the form, he went to the side to pay the fees for both of them and collected two booklets while waiting for Darius to finish filling in his information.
Darius carefully wrote down his details, stroke by stroke, before walking over while muttering, "It's been so long since I last held a pen. The moment I picked it up, I suddenly forgot how to write my own name. And my handwriting is awful—completely unworthy of a knight."
"That's why I keep saying you don't seem like a proper swordman," Illiya responded naturally.
As Darius approached, Illiya handed him one of the booklets. "While I was filling out my information, I noticed a lot of outsiders coming into Haneulseong City. Is there some kind of event happening?" He asked in confusion.
Darius didn't even glance at the booklet before stuffing it into the pocket of his coat.
Having lived in Haneulseong City for quite some time, he was more than familiar with the way things worked here.
Hearing Illiya's question, he patiently explained, "The Treasure Pavilion in Haneulseong City is quite popular across the continent, probably because of its location at the crossroads of several regions. A major auction is coming up at the Treasure Pavilion, so naturally, there are a lot of people gathering here."
After saying that, he cautiously scanned the surroundings.
Once he confirmed that there was no one suspicious nearby, he leaned down and whispered in the elf's ear, "Usually, auctions don't attract this many people. I heard that there's something particularly valuable up for sale this time—apparently, it's a key to an undiscovered ruin."
Illiya's expression remained unchanged, and even upon hearing about the relic key, his face showed no reaction.
"You said you were going to take me to the Treasure Pavilion, didn't you? Then you must have an invitation to the auction as well, right?"
Darius didn't deny it. "Of course. As a qualified bodyguard and guide, I have everything that's needed. But… well, you know how it is."
He had an invitation, sure, but there was an extra cost for it.
It was a separate service.
Illiya didn't have to think too hard to understand what his bodyguard meant.
Invitations weren't exactly common, so it made sense that they would come at an additional price.
He didn't dwell on it too much and simply agreed to the request.
However, as he thought further, he realized that obtaining an invitation to an auction featuring a relic key likely wasn't easy.
Just paying extra might not be enough—he would probably have to owe a favor as well.
"I'll leave the invitation to you. If there's anything at the auction that catches your eye, I'll cover it for you."
Darius was momentarily taken aback by this generous offer.
The truth was, getting an invitation wasn't difficult for someone like him—plenty of people were willing to send one his way.
However, that wasn't something he could say in front of this inexperienced young elf, especially not when the elf was already prepared to spend a fortune on it.
If he told him the truth now, he had a feeling he'd get beaten up in embarrassment.
There was a brief, awkward pause before Darius regained his composure.
He responded in a lighthearted tone, making sure to sound as natural as possible, "Thank you, Boss! You're so generous! Elves really are the most wonderful beings in the world!"